Eight Homes Replace One McMansion

A new community of eight small homes is being built on a lot that formerly held one single-family home in Clarkston, Ga.

Fast Company reports that "the community follows the 'pocket neighborhood' model popularized by architect Ross Chapin in communities in the Pacific Northwest and will be the first of its kind in Georgia." The goal of the project is to increase affordability through density in the rapidly growing Atlanta area. Homes will a central shared courtyard with a firepit and room to garden. The design is meant to encourage people to spend time outside with neighbors.

The houses range from around 250 to 500 square feet–compared to around 2,400 square feet for a typical new American house–and are expected to cost between $100,000 and $125,000. The average house in the county goes for around $285,000; Clarkston, which has a large refugee population, is more affordable than some nearby communities, but most houses in the city are still much more expensive than the new tiny homes. The median home value in Clarkston has increased 158% since 2012, according to data from Zillow.

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